Matt S.

I don't mean to turn this thread into a wish-list of JW works, but I've always thought he should compose a true Concerto for Orchestra, perhaps for the Boston Symphony... with his mastery of orchestration, and his knowledge of both that particular orchestra and the acoustic qualities of Symphony Hall, such a work could be truly amazing.

I've never had a problem with Adventures on Earth as a concert piece. It's probably because I was so familiar with that version before ever really listening to the OST, that the differences didn't bother me (i.e., the build-up to nowhere, instead of the Flying theme where the bicycles take off over the Feds). It is a longer work, but it's not overlong...9-10 minutes seems about right for a concert overture (such as The Cowboys). Playing it through as written for the film would just make it longer.

Or even better: he could compose a new symphony!

Hey! Erich Kunzel stole your idea!

I'm sorry you didn't care for this one, Jay, this is one of my favorites of JW's early Pops recordings! Kabalevsky's Colas Bruegnon is a great album opener, and I'm happy they went with some lesser-known selections from Suppe and Rossini. Most orchestras would have chosen either Light Cavalry or Poet and Peasant from Suppe, and William Tell from Rossini. And this recording of Bernstein's Candide overture is a favorite!

To be clear, "veto" was my word, not Keith Lockhart's, and I apologize. Never meant to cause any confusion! I did find the interview in question, it was from the podcast "The Answered Question" from WCRB, with Brian McCreath. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-74-keith-lockhart-and-charles-dutoit/id1046679914?i=1000385851331 Around the 7:45 mark, here is Lockhart's exact quote: "...We brought them up to John, because of course we wanted his blessing on anything we--, some of the things I honestly think he didn't remember, because you do 110 films, you're gonna remember everything? But occasionally there would be something where he'd say, 'Hmm, no, I never really liked that,' in which case we X'd it off our list." So, no, it's not as if the recordings were in the can and JW came along with a big red stamp that said NO! But it does sound as though there may have been different selections on the album, had they not consulted with him.

Indeed, I remember Keith Lockhart saying in an interview that JW had to approve all of the selections for Lights, Camera... Music! and that he even vetoed one or two pieces Keith wanted to include (he didn't say which, of course).

Scotty, we need warp speed in three minutes or we're all dead!

The Pukes of Hazzard

Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson, was first recorded by Arthur Fiedler, and is an unofficial signature tune of the Pops during Christmastime. I'm not sure if Anderson was ever actually employed by the Pops as a house arranger, but he and Fiedler were very close and they would very often appear together and perform his music. Keith Lockhart has put out three Christmas albums, and Sleigh Ride is included on all of them... The second recording of A Christmas Festival is mostly the same, but with the addition of the chorus. However, the chorus doesn't actually come in until nearly 4 minutes in the piece, at "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"...

I'm not much of a fan of this album; mostly for the reasons Jay listed. The instrumental tracks are the best; I don't care for any of the choral ones. We Wish You a Merry Christmas was recorded again for Sony's Joy to the World album, along with A Christmas Festival. Interestingly, that medley was a Pops mainstay from the Arthur Fielder days (arranged by Leroy Anderson) and choir was added for JW's second recording. And speaking of Leroy Anderson, how can you have a Boston Pops Christmas album and NOT include Sleigh Ride? That's blasphemous!! (Almost as bad as a Boston Pops album titled Pops on the March that doesn't include The Stars and Stripes Forever!) It's almost as though, in his earlier albums, he was trying to move the Pops away from the same-old, same-old?

Of course they hired him for his popularity (or at least the music's popularity... I don't know how much of a household name JW was at that point...), but there still needed to be a balance. He does manage to include one or two of his own pieces on most albums (with exceptions of course, like the all-Bernstein, all-Gershwin albums, or the showtunes ones). Wasn't part of the cause for the rift between him and the orchestra in 1983 that they were upset about having to play so much of his music? (I could easily be wrong about that, but I thought I read that somewhere...)

I always thought of this album as a sort-of transition from Arthur Fiedler to John Williams, the way it includes a number of marches from classical music, before moving to more contemporary selections. It is sort of weird, though, that it doesn't include ANY John Philip Sousa (The March King). Several of the pieces on this album are recorded again for Sony Classical, for the I Love a Parade album (and those performances are much better, or at least better-recorded). I'm sure you're aware of this, but the Fiddler on the Roof suite IS his own adaptation, so he does get a credit on the album. I'm not too surprised that his music isn't as prominently featured early on; he was probably very self-conscious about not over-programming his own stuff.

It's hard to find, but there's also this CD: It's full of arrangements of JW's music for oboe and chamber ensemble, played by his former principal Oboist with the Boston Pops, Keisuke Wakao (for whom he also composed his Oboe Concerto). This CD also includes Williams himself playing piano alongside Keisuke in The Days Between, from Stepmom. Here's an Amazon link, but like I said, it's pricey: https://www.amazon.com/Keisuke-Wakao-Plays-Music-Williams/dp/B00018H0KO

The Man Who Loved Car Dancing

Dude, Where's My Cat?

The Living Gaylights

Angela's Asses Hairy Potter

You can skip the City of Prague recordings. There are some decent tracks on them, but on the whole. you really need an A-list orchestra like London, Boston, or LA to perform JW's music. Same for the Evan Christ album (it's decent, but no LSO...). The Sony albums are largely repackaged material from the Boston Pops recordings, but there are a few unique tracks. The Music of America 3-disc set has "Air and Simple Gifts," as well as the 5-movement suite for cello and orchestra from "Memoirs of a Geisha" that isn't available anywhere else. That's not too expensive (15.98 on Amazon at the moment) so even if a lot of it is redundant you're not paying too much. It also contains the Bassoon Concerto "The Five Sacred Trees," and you said you're looking to explore some concert works. Also, the Classic FM "A Life in Music" album is a good CD, if a bit short. It's just the main hits, but it does include the cello and orchestra version of the Theme from "Schindler's List."

John Goldfart, Please Come Home

Paws

Locksley!! I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon!!

It still sounds better than the godawful Vienna Philharmonic, with all of their endless flubs and timing issues.... But seriously, that is an interesting arrangement, I remember playing that in my college wind ensemble! It's relatively faithful to the original, but there are some weird transitions and modulations here and there, so certain sections are played in different keys than we're used to. I also have an orchestral performance of that same arrangement; it was released by the Orchestra of the Americas, conducted by Bill Broughton (Bruce's brother).

I asked you to kill Superman, and you're telling me you couldn't do that one, simple thing. *drops phone*

That's probably my favorite part of the original recording; the way it just smacks you in the face right on the downbeat, without the grace notes. Another little detail about the original that I prefer, is that the first three measures are played at a constant tempo, without the slowdown leading into Luke's Theme that became commonplace later on. That gives the recording a great deal more drive, in my opinion. I've never been too fond of the 1997 LSO recording; the whole percussion section is overbearing to my ears (I don't know if it's the way it's mixed, or if the players were just playing very loudly). I feel that's the case throughout the entire "Hollywood Sound" album.